Mass Effect: Descencion
by xenowriter
Summary: This will start off in the year 2164 prequel to Mass Effect. Sh'sk will help Saren unknowingly find Sovereign which leads to the downfall of his people. This story will be rated M due to violence, gore, language and sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

MASS EFFECT: DESCENCION

CHAPTER 1

2164….

"Incoming vessel, this is Citadel Security Tower One. Please identify." A voice came over the ship's communication system. It appeared male…Turian, the most common species to work with C-Sec on the Citadel.

As the small transport craft known as the Hatre II entered Citadel space, the ship's forward thrusters began to slow as it began its arrival. The ship was tiny compared to the large Turian Cruisers that patrolled the heavily trafficked space along with the Destiny Ascension, the Council's flagship, which seemed to almost hover off in the distance. One shot from that ship's main gun could have easily disintegrated the Hatre II and her crew. However, the ship's pilot had no intentions of engaging in any type of combat. Gliding his fingertips across the console to begin the landing procedures, Sh'sk tapped into the interstellar communications system. "Hatre II on route for a delivery to the Citadel."

There was a brief moment of silence, a bit too long for Sh'sk's copilot who was seated next to him. Anto, Sh'sk younger brother, rolled all four of his eyes in unison. "I guess they are trying to find the red carpet to roll out for us."

Sh'sk remained silent as he continued on course giving no hesitation in what so ever. Though something was hitting the back of his mind telling him it was never too late to turn around and hit the relay before the patrolling ships could get to them. Luckily, the C-Sec officer got back onto the system, "Go to Docking Bay Alpha Four and wait for inspection."

"Damn Turians," Anto grumbled as he took over the descent and guided the ship to their predetermined berth. "I really hate this place."

"Hopefully if we get enough creds for this shipment then we won't have to." Sh'sk rose up from his seat and motioned with his head to the rest of his crew, which were three more Batarians. "Get the cargo ready.

"Enough shit that we have to go through…we should double the price." Anto added.

This time Sh'sk rolled his eyes. "Try to negotiate _that_ with a Volus," He muttered.

The time it took to get the crates off the ship seemed to be shorter than their wait for C-Sec to show up for the inspection. Sh'sk knew that the guard at the main entrance to the station wouldn't allow them to pass until the inspection was complete. As he stood there, he glanced back at the rest of his crew members. Each of them had one of the large heavy crates on a hover platform guided with proximity remote. It would allow them to walk normally while the hover platform would follow them with just enough distance so if they stopped suddenly, it wouldn't go crashing into them. The wait seemed to be bit longer than usual and this made Sh'sk worry more. Anto began to nervously look around and Sh'sk cleared his throat to get his attention when he finally saw two officers approaching them. One of the officers was a standard uniformed Turian and the other was surprisingly human. Humans were rare to be found among the ranks of C-Sec but it wasn't unheard of. Pressure from the new upcoming species forced the Council to allow certain ones to make it in. This day just got worse. Tensions were very high between the new species and the Batarians. The humans were beginning to colonize and a lot of the systems they chose were already inhabited by Batarians. The Batarians were slowly being forced off their land without any protection from the Council. A few raids were going on between both sides causing a rift between the two. And this human was no exception to the rule, Sh'sk noticed as he saw the young brash human stand there with a cocky grin on his face. His hand tauntingly tapping his side arm. "May I see your manifest please?" The Turian officer spoke out first.

Sh'sk handed him the datapad he already had out knowing the proper procedure. "We are late for our delivery. Could we make this fast?"

"Oh why's that? Afraid you may lose a few creds?" The human spoke up with a smirk as he walked closer to eye the crate. "What's in those things anyways?"

Sh'sk could hear his younger brother snarl softly behind him. "Ammunition and Mods from the Dah'Tan Manufacture ring Plant on Camala." Sh'sk spoke up trying to remain diplomatic.

"What a piss hole…" The human officer scoffed. "Let's see what kind of crap you four eyes have."

"We will remain with the protocol, Officer Harkin." The Turian superior officer spoke down to him.

Although he was beginning to really hate the human, Sh'sk decided to play his attitude to his favor. "If it will satisfy him, go ahead. Let's just hurry this up." He unlocked the magnetic seals to the top of the crate as he lowered the hover platform. The balding young man pushed past him as he searched inside. Sh'sk remained silent as he stood there. Finally, giving up the man stepped back in disgust. "Just worthless junk."

The Turian officer sighed as he eyeballed the rest of the crates. "All these carry the same goods?"

Sh'sk nodded. "Yes, now can we go?"

The Turian pointed towards the entrance. "Go on. I'll clear you."

This time, Sh'sk was unable to control his brother as he spoke up when they passed by. The younger Batarian paused briefly in front of the human officer. "Make sure you visit Camala one day, human. We can find some work for you."

"Just not at the brothel." One of the other Batarians added with a chuckle.

"Sickening…" Another one spoke up moments later as they were in the elevator heading down from the landing zone to the Wards.

"What's that?" Anto asked.

"Fucking a human…I could never do that."

"Give me an Asari any day." Sh'sk chortled and all agreed.

"This place disgusts me," Anto grumbled as they made a bee line from the elevator towards the Upper Markets. They were just passing the entrance to Flux and a group of humans were standing outside laughing at some conversation. "Humans everywhere."

"How in the hell did they get so ugly?" One of their compatriots spoke up from the back.

"The sooner we get this shipment to the Volus, the sooner we can get off this station for good." Sh'sk spoke as he gave the group one of more look and then continued on.

Their client was a rotunda like alien known as the Volus. The environment suited short creatures mainly took care of the Citadel's financial districts including many of the shops in the markets. They were good with numbers and money…sometimes a bit too good. A Salarian was at the kiosk chatting with the volus when the group arrived. The amphibian like alien gave them one look and the politely excused himself as he made his way back to the lower Markets. Stepping up on his tippy toes, the volus leaned up from his spot to greet the five. "Ah, hello there, tranversians…is that my order?"

"Yes. It's all here. "Sh'sk eyed the crowd…no C-Sec was around.

"Good…come with me to my storage unit. This way please. "The volus stepped around his shop's counter and led the four-eyed group to a small room a few meters away. The door was camouflaged to match the wall's interior color. Sh'sk wondered if this was the way all the rooms were like by Citadel Standards or even more of a cover up to the Volus' alternative goods.

Setting all the crates down, Sh'sk removed the platforms and gave the Volus the datapad that contained the shipment's manifest. Taking a breath in with his respirator, the Volus peered from the pad to the crates. "May I see what you have?"

"Of course." Sh'sk motioned two of his colleagues to unlock one of the crates. It was the second hidden door that not only allowed anyone to see what was in the top but also the bottom. There tucked away in a hidden compartment were several illegal guns and mods. They were common to most merc groups and anyone who had the money, but not for sale on the station due to the implications they would have against C-Sec if anyone should try to go up against them. "It's all there…you won't find better goods anywhere else and you should make a profit."

"Most excellent. I will transfer the credits into your account immediately. "

"Now so we can leave." Anto insisted.

Taking a few breaths, the Volus spoke up, "Very well." He produced his cred chit from his pocket and gave it to Sh'sk for him to scan. Scanning the chit across the omni tool, he made sure that the transfer was finalized before handing it back to the plump Volus.

As the five made their way from the Upper Markets, Sh'sk decided to take a longer route by going from the Lower Markets to the Docking Station. The Lower Markets were known for black market goods but nothing too exotic unlike what they just gave the Volus. C-Sec was well aware of the black market deals but a lot of it was mostly harmless so they turned a blind eye to it. A pair of blue Asari was shopping at one kiosk when the group saw them. One of the angelic aliens glanced over and then whispered to her companion. Anto grinned, noticing the look and quickened his pace. Sh'sk and the others fell back to watch. "You want a good time? I have some creds."

The right Asari glowed lightly before she gave a slight biotic push, shoving Anto several feet back. "We're sorry but we don't want trash like you."

Anto's friends burst into laughter by his rejection. Humiliated, Anto fumed and stormed on towards their destination. "They couldn't handle it with me anyway."

"They were too soft. When we get back to Camala, we can splurge a little." Sh'sk assured him with a smile.

"I am thinking about going to Omega one day. I heard the whores there are much cheaper than what we pay on Camala. "

"I am game…better than this shit hole. Too clean." One of their friends spoke up.

As they waited for the elevator to take them back up, a well brassed Turian approached them. He had a very sharp demeanor and his avian like eyes were fixed on the group. "You have a few moments?"

"Fuck…" Sh'sk muttered as he turned around to address the highly ranked C-Sec Officer. "Yes?"

"My name is Sergeant Vakarian. I'm with C-Sec. We have had a lot of black market items come through the Citadel lately. May I ask what your business is here?"

Without pause, Sh'sk replied, "Delivery of goods to a merchant."

"More into detail please. His name...his shop. What the items were." The officer pressed on, keeping his eyes squarely on the gang.

Any random black market trade would have rattled the seller, but not Sh'sk. He had anticipated any interrogations and after speaking with their Volus friend prior to the delivery, he was able to conceive a very believable story. "Toru, Volus merchant in the Upper Markets. The shipment was ammunition and mods. We were checked in by two of your officers when we arrived." The story would match up with Expat's friend, Toru. He owned a joint store nearby as a cover up. He would obtain the items that Expat received that were legal so that way everything would check out.

There was a brief awkward moment of silence as if Vakarian was trying to decipher if what he was being told was fact or fictional. Finally he nodded with his head in approval. "I'll question Toru to finalize everything. You are free to go. Your ship has been logged should something not check out."

"Fine." Sh'sk replied as he and the others got on the elevator. Not like it would have mattered. No ship was ever used twice in their smuggling runs and it wasn't like he planned on coming back to the Citadel. As far as he was concerned, he would never have to see this place again.


	2. Chapter 2

MASS EFFECT DESCENCION

CHAPTER 2

Hatre, Camala, 2165…

It was in the late hours on Camala, but that meant nothing to the busy spaceport known as Hatre. It was five hundred kilometers outside the capital of Ujon and just like its sister city, it never slept. Merchant vessels constantly made their rounds to deliver or acquire goods before setting off at their next destination. In the vast desert that separated the two cities, mines and refineries bustled as their workers sought after the planet's key resource: Element Zero.

Sh'sk found himself sitting at a bar inside the spaceport's most desirable pleasure house: Sanctuary. He met up with Anto after their latest run and found a good way to spend some of their creds: alcohol and sex. The odd thing was that the women cost a lot more than the liquor so Sh'sk often found himself drinking there and taking in the atmosphere. It would cost him a few good runs tops before he had enough creds to buy any of the females there. Instead, he would stagger down the busy streets to a lesser known house once he consumed enough booze to take his boredom away. The section of the building that had all the rooms was separated by a door and a very large Krogan bouncer. The reptilian thick soft yellow skinned creature would eye Sh'sk and his brother whenever one of the girls walked by to make sure they wouldn't cause any trouble. Once satisfied, the burly Krogan would give out a grunt before greeting any paying customers.

Swirling the dark liquor in his glass, Sh'sk eyed the already empty three glasses in front of him. So far he was up to his regular limit and he could feel his head starting to spin. Anto, on the other hand, was only topping off his second, but he was too busy eyeing the women that walked by. "Forget it," Sh'sk reminded him.

Anto blinked all four of his eyes then whirled back around in his chair to put his back towards the door once more. "I'm tired of fuckin' the ones down the street. How are these girls any different?"

"Well…look what the varren dragged in," A voice called out to the duo from behind. Sh'sk turned his head back to see a red toned Batarian approaching him. "I finally get back to port and I have to run into your ugly faces."

Sh'sk chuckled at the newcomer. "Charn, what are you doing here?"

"Tired of seeing those humans?" Anto grinned as he made his way over their friend to sit in between them.

"Those humans give me good creds." Charn held out his cred chit to allow the bartender to swipe it for his tab. Sh'sk grunted in approval as he swallowed the rest of his drink. "I'm heading out in a few days for a new run, why don't you both come with me? I need some new hands. "

"I am hoping to find a job to where I can stay grounded longer," Sh'sk replied as he cupped the empty glass with his hands.

"You want to stay in this piss hole?" Charn glanced around their surroundings. "If you get into the slave trade, at least you will get more creds than being a courier."

"Fuckin' caste system," Sh'sk huffed between his teeth.

"I'm not. I'm finding a transport to Omega. There should be one going out later this week," Anto chimed in after finishing his drink.

"Talk about a pisshole. Though I heard the Pirate Queen is a looker." Charn smiled slyly.

"I'm going talk to the boss tomorrow," Sh'sk went on. "Rumor is there's a big project going on. Hush hush. Maybe I can get into that action." And he was right, rumors were bustling around the Dah' Tan manufacturing plant.

Anto eyed a female of his species picking up empty glasses from a table across the room. "Speaking of action." He excused himself from the bar and walked over to greet the woman.

Sh'sk shook his head with a laugh as he looked on. "Maybe he will get one better than me tonight. I'm just not feeling it." He mused with his own thoughts. "I need something different, Charn."

"Well, since you won't join me…I may have another avenue for you to try…" His friend motioned towards the bar's entrance with his head. "Passed a recruiter a few blocks away from here for the Suns. Supposedly to be under Edan Had'dah."

"That prick?" Sh'sk scoffed. Edan Had'dah was one of the top wealthy Batarians on Camala and in a totally different caste. He invested his funds in archeological sites and research facilities.

"Hey, well I'm only tellin you what's out here…unless you want to join up with me for a slave grab." Charn stood up from his seat and slid his cred chit against the console to pay up. "If you don't want the Suns, find me tomorrow."

"I will."

After another hour went by, Sh'sk found himself staggering for steps as he made his way back to his apartment. Ironically, he noticed that his common pleasure house was just a block outside from the Suns recruitment makeshift building. Two Batarians were outside the building's door that was painted with their insignia. Their common blue and white uniforms stood out in the darkness. Giggles could be heard just inside the pleasure house's door and a female Batarian wearing a provocative silk outfit manned the door to greet any potential customers. Her perfume could be smelled feet away from where she stood. Sh'sk recognized her from his previous visits. When she saw him, her face lit up in the usual charming fashion. "Round tonight?"

This time, Sh'sk found it hard to speak or even walk towards the building. Something was holding him back as if it was stopping him living the same life he always did. His black four eyes flashed up ahead to the two mercs. "Not tonight," Sh'sk grunted as he quickened his pace, hearing a slight sound of disappointment from the female.

As he approached, the two mercs noticed him and tensed up. Their hands threateningly on their weapons. It wasn't uncommon for gunfire to break out in the streets in the spaceport. "You here for the job?" One of them barked out.

"Yeah, what does it pay?" Sh'sk inquired.

"Well enough. Go inside if you are interested." The other motioned his weapon to the door as they stepped inside. "We only want the best."

Giving the pair another look, Sh'sk walked past and stepped inside the facility. It was an old warehouse that was deserted. A few tables were in place for datapads while the room was mixed with Suns and common dressed Batarians. Several groups were broken out in different areas: One for uniforms, and one for signing up. Sh'sk was quickly moved through both. "Come back tomorrow for your orders. We have a job already." An older Batarian in uniform barked in front of everyone. Judging by his commanding quality, Sh'sk assumed he was the one in charge. Pouring out with the others, he made his way back to his apartment to only find his younger brother in bed with a female. Both naked and asleep. Shaking his head, Sh'sk stripped out of his clothes to his undergarments and sprawled out on the couch.

The next morning when Sh'sk came to, Anto and the female were gone. He figured she went back to work and his brother was back down at the docks to see if any new comers were in from Omega. He made a mental note that after the Suns briefing, he would meet up with his brother just in case he was able to book passage.

Fitting his uniform on, Sh'sk paused at the main room's holo mirror. Nodding his head in approval, he made his back to the facility.

This time the facility was only open to Suns mercs and anybody not part of the gang were dismissed. Everyone was huddled over a holo screen that displayed some kind of schematics to a building. The commanding Batarian was in front again as he examined the display. "Listen up," He turned back around to address the group. "We have a contract from one of our top clients and we have to do this right so no fucking screw ups. You hear me?" He pointed towards the building with his finger. "We have an insider planted who will undo the security for a brief window. This will be timed and precise so when we tell you to move, you move."

Sh'sk looked at the building and then to the holo screen next to it that revealed a planet shape and statistics next to it. In a repeated pattern, a coordinate would flash on the planet and then zoom in revealing a particular spot before expanding out to planetary view once more. Watching, Sh'sk made out the name of the planet to be "Sidon."


End file.
